What is the main advantage of using capecitabine instead of fluorouracil?

Table of Contents

Capecitabine results in superior response rate, equivalent TTP and overall survival, an improved safety profile and improved convenience compared with i.v. 5-FU/LV as first-line treatment for MCRC. For patients in whom fluoropyrimidine monotherapy is indicated, capecitabine should be strongly considered.

Is capecitabine the same as fluorouracil?

Abstract. Fluorouracil (5-FU) remains the most widely used agent for colorectal cancer. Capecitabine is a rationally designed 5-FU pro-drug developed to mimic the continuous infusion of 5-FU while avoiding complications and inconvenience of intravenous administration.

Should capecitabine replace 5 fluorouracil in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer?

Furthermore, pharmacoeconomic data and patients’ preferences for oral chemotherapy further favor capecitabine. Therefore, capecitabine appears to be an effective and safe alternative to fluorouracil in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Is there an alternative to capecitabine?

Possible alternative treatment options to be considered are to replace the oral capecitabine or intravenous 5-FU by a 5-FU bolus regimen, by uracil-tegafur or tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil, both oral fluoropyrimidines combining a 5-FU prodrug with a dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) inhibitor, or by raltitrexed, a …

Is 5-FU effective without oxaliplatin?

Cox regression analyses found no significant difference in survival with the addition of oxaliplatin to 5-FU regimens. Conclusion: Our findings suggested no survival benefit with the addition of oxaliplatin to 5-FU modalities in treating CRC in practice.

What cancers is capecitabine used for?

Capecitabine is used to help treat patients with Dukes’ C colon cancer (colon cancer that has spread to lymph nodes in the area close to the colon), after having surgery. This medicine is also used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum that has spread to other parts of the body).

Is fluorouracil the same as 5-FU?

Fluorouracil is also known as FU or 5FU and is one of the most commonly used drugs to treat cancer. It is most often used in combination with other cancer drugs to treat many types of cancer including: breast cancer. head and neck cancers.

Is there an alternative to fluorouracil?

Fluorouracil has been the traditional topical treatment for actinic keratoses, although imiquimod 5% cream and diclofenac 3% gel are effective alternative therapies.

How effective is capecitabine?

At 3 years, 82.8% of capecitabine patients were alive and free from recurrence or second cancer, compared with 73.9% of control patients. At 5 years, these rates were 74.1% and 67.6%.

Is there an alternative to oxaliplatin?

Short-term infusional 5-fu/fa in combination with either oxaliplatin (folfox) or irinotecan (folfiri) are both acceptable alternatives for fit patients when combination therapy is the preferred treatment.